Victims of real crimes like these who receive no backup from police might wonder how our boys and girls in blue spend their valuable time. A news report about a visit by politically correct officers from Cheshire Police to a 10-year old schoolboy might give some clues.

Company director Alan Rawlinson said he was astounded after two police officers arrived at his home in Bold Heath, Cheshire, to speak to his son George.

The officers were investigating a complaint that George had called a school pal a "gay boy" in an email.

Mr Rawlinson, 41, said: "I could not believe what I was hearing when the officers told me."

"They told me they considered it a very serious offence, I thought they were joking at first."

"I run a construction company and have to deal with problems of theft and the like everyday. My wife is a magistrate and sees serious crimes all the time so this just seemed like a huge waste of resources for something so trivial."

"I am furious about what has happened, it just seems the politically correct brigade are taking over."

Terrified Boy

Mr Rawlinson said his son, who is a pupil at Farnworth Primary School in Widnes, was terrified when police arrived and asked him if he would be arrested.

He added: "I think the police do a good job but I think their hands are tied by this political correctness.

"My son is not anti anybody, he is too young to have made judgments about people and we have always taught him to judge people as he finds them."

"There is no evidence he sent this email but even if he did I'm sure the words have been taken the wrong way."

"If somebody had called the police about something like this in my day they would have laughed - they certainly wouldn't have sent two officers out. It is completely ridiculous."

Prank

Inspector Nick Bailey, of Cheshire Constabulary, said: "The matter was reported to police as the parents of the boy believed it was more sinister than just a schoolyard prank."

"We were obliged to record the matter as a crime and we took a proper, and maybe an old fashioned, view."

"Going to the boy's house was a reasonable course of action to take. We do not feel this is something that should be pursued."

"My understanding is that this message was part of some behaviour that has been ongoing."

"The use of the word gay would imply this is homophobic but we would be hard-pushed to say this is a homophobic crime."

"This boy has not been treated as an offender."

Word Bender

Words often have their meanings altered over the course of time. 50 years ago gay meant bright and cheerful before it was hi-jacked by professional homosexual campaigning groups. PC cops who have allowed themselves to become the laughing stock of Britain in an eager bid to meet their hate crime targets, will have their work cut out in southern England where “estuary English” speaking youngsters have appropriated the word “gay” from the homosexual lobby. Teenagers routinely use the word to describe something as cheap, or rubbish, as in “your mobile phone is completely gay” or perhaps “politically correct policing is so gay”.